


Pink Lemonade

by happilygloomy



Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, Mutual Pining, angst with an eventual happy ending, i just want my gays to be happy, zack and billy my precious sons the wingmen the girls deserve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-01
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-10-13 19:09:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10520007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/happilygloomy/pseuds/happilygloomy
Summary: Kimberly Hart has always been sure of herself, that is, until she wasn't. Until she sent some picture and everything changed. Until she ended up in detention, her hair in the bin of some dingy bathroom. Until she ended up in some mine with four people she knew of but didn't really know.AKA: power rangers but gayer and with more angst.





	1. Chapter 1

It started off slow and then happened all at once. At least, that's what she'll tell you if you ever ask her. Kimberly Hart has always been sure of herself, that is, until she wasn't. Until she sent some picture and everything changed. Until she ended up in detention, her hair in the bin of some dingy bathroom. Until she ended up in some mine with four people she knew of but didn't really _know_.

And she barely has enough time to look at the pink coin in her hand before alarms are blaring and the girl in the beanie, the one who fell with the tumbling of rocks down the mines edge, is spouting off some sarcastic statement. And then they're running.

She doesn't know where the boys ended up, only that now her and the other girl are running stride for stride, and that at some point, one of them grabbed the other's hand, and there's no way Kim is letting go. And her mind is racing because the alarms seem to be getting louder, but nothing's as loud as the pounding of her heart against her ribs and the pounding of their feet against the hard ground.

And then she hears it, the girl's voice, and she's not even sure how long she's been talking until she hears her name from those lips.

“Kimberly! Hey princess, your friends car? It's coming around!” and then the hand attached to hers is pulling her in another direction, and then suddenly there's another hand in hers as Jason pulls her into the van.

She can hear Billy talking about how the “door open” light has turned off, and Jason mentioning that it's because the door is closed now. And she registers that that means the other girl made it into the car, that they're safe, at least for now.

They're driving when something or rather, someone drops on top of the van with a loud crash. She'd be annoyed except her heart's still pounding in her ears and she's still not thinking straight as the laughing boy is being pulled into the already crowded van.

“Hey guys? The train is coming.” Kim hears from somewhere in the van. And suddenly the car is moving faster and she’s telling Billy he can do it, and that same voice from earlier, she recognizes it as the beanie clad girl, says he doesn't have it. Then they're hit and being tossed around the car like dolls, and then everything goes black.

 -

When she wakes, unscathed, a full day has passed, and her heart catches in her throat as she thinks of the others in the car. Are they okay? The kind but maybe crazy boys? The girl who's name she couldn't bring herself to remember no matter how hard she willed it. Did they just wake up wondering how they survived? Did they survive at all? Maybe it was those things coupled with the trash her former friends were sending her this particular morning, but she couldn't bring herself to care about her ruined phone as she rushed out of house to school.

School wasn't much better, the looks and the snide under breath comments as she passed people in the hall only seemed to double as people noticed her new hair, but once again Kimberly couldn't bring herself to care. Well care much, she won't lie the effect the coins had on the food spewing all over those _bitches_ wasn't something she'd be losing any sleep over. Jason had convinced her and Billy to visit the mine after school, they needed to figure out what had changed them, why they had survived.

The whole day nothing has caused Kimberly to care, but the second she see her, the girl in the beanie take off, her feet are moving, and she's all but flying through the air and scaling a mountain with her bare hands. She tries to talk to her, but it seems the second words start coming out of Kimberly’s mouth, she's flinging herself across a chasm. She hears Zack yelling and suddenly he's in the air too then crashing into the girl who can't seem to really leave, even though she keeps running when they get too close.

She jumps with Jason, but when she's in the air she's alone, flying, falling and it's over far too soon for her taste. After Billy falls and calls up to the group, the boys jump, and Kimbley wants to too, but then the girl starts walking away and Kim does the only thing she can think of.

“Hey, can i have a sip of your water?” she's met with silence and an odd look so she continues, “I’m like, really thirsty.” Smooth. Real smooth. And she doesn't know why the girl steps forward, and hands over her bottle, with a stern warning not to drink it all, or why they can't seem to break eye contact, except maybe she does, but she can deal with _that_ later. “Also, I’m really sorry.”

“For what?” It's so unsuspecting Kim almost feels bad as she grabs her and brings them over the edge together.

-

Being in spaceship millions of years old is weird enough, couple it with a sassy android and some weird fatherly wall face, Kimberly has had enough new life changing information for a day. Except right before her time ends for the day with her fellow _rangers_ -yeah that's fucking weird- she finally learns _her_ name. Kimberly should have known how long Trini had been in school, and she certainly should have known she shared _biology_ and not _history_ with the girl whose face she knew she'd now never forget. But she didn't, and when Trini left with a huff after Jason, all Kimberly could do was hope to see her tomorrow at 4 at the edge of the ledge.

But that evening and the next school day still happened, and all Kimberly could think about was the afternoon before. Think about the time in the ship, think about how her eyes sought out Trini’s, and hers did the same. Think about Alpha 5 pointing it out, wondering if it was something _humans_ did. Kimberly supposed it was, they were the only two girls it was natural, they had (almost) willing jumped into this together, so they made eye contact. Except at that comment from the android Trini looked away, like she'd been caught doing something wrong, but Kim kept looking, she was in a spaceship, trying to _morph_ cause she's apparently a _power_ _ranger_ , and all she could do was look at was Trini.

She looks for her, looks for her in the hallways, and at lunch to no avail. Her eyes seek her out in biology, in the corner of the room where she thinks of the girl who's name she could never place, but she isn't there. Kimberly has half a mind to go to the office and ask if she even bothered to show up at all today, but figures it's none of her business anyways.

There’s a weight in her gut that hasn't gone away since Trini bounded out of the cavern and she's not even sure why it's there, why she cares that Trini wasn't at school today, why all she cares about as she scales the mountain is if she's gonna see those hazel eyes again. She thinks those eyes might be part of her demise, if they make it through saving the universe, that is.

-

A few days into training is when Kim knows she's truly fucked. Trini waltzes in wearing _that_. That being a razorback and yoga pants that fit _just_ right. And ok maybe Kim gets a bit distracted and takes a bad hit to the face via a Putty, but it's kinda worth it cause after, Trini does this kick that sends the Putty flying into the wall and is sticking out her hand towards Kimberly with a light “Shake it off princess.” as she pulls Kimberly to her feet.

“Hey Trini, thanks. I totally had it, but uh thanks for that” she say motioning at the still shattered form of the Putty. “Yeah I’m sure you did, but who am I to not come to the aid of a pretty girl?” She's laughing, but it's like she's worried she's said too much or the wrong thing. Trini doesn't know that her comment sent Kim’s heart into a frenzy and it's all she can do in response to say a quick thanks to avoid spewing some nonsense about how she gets it. How she'd love to come to the aid a pretty girl, a girl named Trini who has _zero_ idea about how Kim feels.

“So...wanna spar together? It’s gotta be better than getting pummeled by puttys, stuck with chatty Kathy over there, or splitting up the wonder twins.” She's talking about Zack, who is animatedly taking jabs at Alpha 5, and Jason and Billy who have been nearly inseparable since they started training a few days ago.

“Yeah, what'd you hav- whoa! Warn a girl would ya?” Kimberly said ducking yet another fist to the face.

“First lesson, avoid things hurtling towards your face.” Trini says it with such a shit eating grin, it's infuriating and beautiful at the same time. Kim doesn't know if she's ever seen Trini smile before, but she knows she wants to see it again and again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're both having some feelings. Zack makes a brief POV intro. And can we say PINING. This was supposed to be fluff and it just kinda got away from me..again.

Suddenly she's in her space, all Trini can feel is Kimberly, her front pressed tightly against Trini’s back her arms wrapping around her torso, her breath hot at her ear, and then she’s brought her up into the air and back down hard into the ground. That fucking move, she's gotten it right before but Zordon wanted them to practice with each other and have the boys observe since _none_ of them had managed to complete the move properly yet.

So here she was laying on her back trying to catch her breath as Kimberly’s head lays dangerously close to her hammering heart. It’s unfair really, that Trini is the partner that has consistently been taken down in training today, she knows how to move, hell she knows nearly as much martial arts as Zack, but time after time today Kimberly has put Trini on her ass.

Trini’s not one to complain, she can take the hits and the throws, but what she can absolutely _not_ take, is Kim’s gentle touch every time she helps her up, every time their sparring matches end, there she is making sure she didn't hurt Trini too badly. It’s sweet, and infuriating, whatever the coins did to them, regardless of not being able to morph yet they healed quickly, and while fighting Kim wasn't a walk in the park, the post spar check ins did little but speed up Trini’s heart.

But Kim is there, right in her space unwrapping Trini’s hands cause it's time for them to go home. And Kim's head is ducked down her eyes intent on her work, so hey, she doesn't notice Trini staring. “You know,” she finally speaks up, “in case you've forgotten, even before we had superpowers I wasn't so easily injured. I did literally fall with a crumbling side of the quarry when Billy decided late night demolition was a good idea.”

“I haven't forgotten.” Kimberly said lightly. “That night was terrifying, I didn't even know who you were yet, and I was so scared you had broken something and we were gonna be stuck carrying your stubborn ass out of there. You have _no_ idea how glad I was when you just stood up.” Trini might have been staring before, but those words made her take pause, made her look away, she didn't know what to say to that, and she certainly didn't know how to meet Kim's searching brown eyes. She didn't have the faintest idea of how to understand why Kim would have cared about _her_ with everything else that was going on that evening.

With Trini's hand wraps removed there was no reason for her hands to still be in Kimberly’s, no reason for Kim to be traci ng small circles with her thumbs on the tops of Trini's hands. And yet here they were. If you would have told Trini a few months, no weeks ago, that she would be friends with Kimberly Hart? She would've laughed in your face at the sheer audacity. Trini had a crush, she couldn't help it, and it started far before all this ranger mess.

-

She noticed Kimberly on her first day, I mean how could she not? Even when you're the new kid you know who the queen bee is, the ones boys want to date and girls want to be (there might even be some mix up of those but Trini doesn't count on it much in this small town). So there's her, confused Trini, _gay_ Trini, at least she thinks so..watching the popular girl date the popular boy. It’s a bit contrive, but then again it almost had felt silly to hope for anything else.

So Trini placed her small crush on the beautiful girl in the back of her mind and tried getting used to being the new girl, _again_. There were a few girls in Angel Grove, girls who wanted to experiment and Trini was there to oblige, girls were soft in a way none of the boys she had dated were. They might not have stuck around or even acknowledged her afterward in the hallways of Angel Grove High, but for those few moments Trini knew it was just _better_ it wasn't completely right with those girls, but it was a substantial improvement from the boys of a past she was working hard to forget.

Months passed sitting in class, wandering the halls as an outsider, Trini had been at Angel Grove for nearly a year now and she'd seen the beginning of Kimberly's fall from grace. She heard about how she knocked out that boys tooth, even heard that they were able to put it back, but Trini was still yet to know why Kimberly's fall was so sudden and violent.

Kimberly was still the beautiful girl in the back of her mind, even when being ostracized she kept her chin held high, even if her eyes were clouded with sadness. That fateful night at the mine, when Trini saw Kimberly her hair cut short, and her eyes filled with something new she couldn't quite place, she suddenly became more than the pretty girl in class, more than a crush. But then she was tumbling down with the rubble and thoughts of _feelings_ were banished from her mind.

Trini hadn't _meant_ to grab Kimberly's hand when she started running, she just had. Just like she had known she shouldn't be walking closer towards the edge of the cliff when Kimberly asked for some water. In spite of herself she did both those things, and now here they were. Trini's hands in Kimberly's, words stuck in her throat, her eyes looking anywhere but at those of the girl in front of her.

-

They do speak, they're even getting better at it, opening up, joking, even existing in comfortable silence when words aren't necessary. Trini and Kim are growing closer. And neither of them have any idea what that means. They're friends, but then all the rangers are friends, Kimberly and Trini are something, different.

Zack isn't dumb, he's pretty, but he's not dumb. He sees the way the girls look at each other when the other isn't watching. Sees a gentleness between them that they don't offer anyone else. Sees Kimberly being someone he never thought she was, seeing that crazy girl be tamed, a force to be reckoned with certainly, but something wild tamed nonetheless. She’s calmer, better with Kim at her back, fighting side by side they're truly a sight to see. There's a natural elegance to the way Kim fights and a brute manner in which Trini finishes opponents, but somehow it only makes their combined style stronger. What Trini doesn't see when she charges head first Kim takes care of, and when Puttys surround Kimberly there's Trini, smashing them to bits with her vicious tiny legged kicks.

They'd been training for what felt like days but could have only been hours when Jason called quits for the day leaving swiftly with Billy. Trini and Kim were still sparing, laughing about some joke that Zack had missed.

He knew something big was coming, the fight of their lives, and they still hadn't managed to morph yet, but still, from where he stood, hidden from the girls view (he doubted they'd noticed him anyways) he took the time to look at his friends and take solace in the fact that they had _something_ to look forward to when all of this was over.

Zack knew Trini was scared, knew she didn't know what to make of Kimberly, and maybe none of them did. But he also knew that when they took that step he was gonna be right there cheering them on. He left the cavern with a small smile on his face as he heard the girls laughing loudly from within the training area.

-

She hadn't seen Trini all day, she normally saw her at her locker after she got out of her stats class, and again at lunch, but not today. But when she walked into biology, there she was, sitting in the back of the class, her cheek resting against her hand propping up her head. She gave Kim a small smile and proceeded to look out the window of the cramped classroom.

All throughout class Kim kept glancing back at Trini, it might've been a bit much but she couldn't help herself, it was like if she'd stop looking Trini would just disappear all together. Each time their eyes met Trini would smile just a little bit bigger, her eyes would light up just a fraction more than the last, maybe that's why Kim kept looking.

The bell rang and they were looking at each other, Trini's smile had become a smirk, like she had some wicked idea forming in her mind. It kind of made Kim's heart stop then pick up again even faster, if that was possible.

“So I was thinking,” Trini said approaching Kimberly, fingers dragging along the tops of now empty desks “we should do something, ya know, together sometime outside of all this, the training and these inane classes.”

“Yeah? Like what? Angel Grove isn't exactly a booming metropolis where we have many options.”

“Well I was thinking we could just see where the wind, or well your car, takes us in this rinky dink town of ours.” That damn smirk was plastered to Trini’s face still..how was Kim ever expected to say anything but yes?

“So it's my car huh? What you don't have a horse drawn carriage all set up for us to see the sights with? Bit lackluster Trini, don't you think?”

“Shut up Hart, you know out of the two of us you're the one with an actual vehicle and not some gaudy pink bike with a basket.” She mumbles quickly into the ground, smirk gone from her face.

Trini pretends she doesn't see the comedy of getting around town on a bike the color of her crush's morph suit. Pretends that it isn't the case that until she knew Kimberly she detested the color and all it's girly, perfect implications.

Most of all, Trini can't honestly believe she's having this conversation, there's probably a better time for this, after they defeat Rita, _if_ they defeat Rita. But she can't stop herself. Being around Kimberly, it's like a drug, and being close during training, and seeing her at school just wasn't enough. So here she is _trying_ and building a friendship because she knows that if all she ever gets from Kimberly is friendship, that it'd be enough.

She wants more, _God_ she wants more, but Kim is straight and Trini sees the way Jason looks at her, the same way Trini does..she doesn't even have a chance. So she’ll take this, friendship, whatever that means.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have an idea where I want the next chapter to start but don't know when I'll be able to get it written and uploaded. I've got a really busy week ahead of me but i'm gonna try my best! If you have any ideas about what you want to see in the next chapters drop me some suggestions and maybe they'll end up in here! Come talk to me on tumblr if you so please i'm happliygloomy there too. Also I'm highkey insecure about my writing so feedback is very much appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This started off cute and then i was like: angst? I have most of the next chapter written so that should be up sometime tomorrow so yay! Happy things are coming but y'all are gonna have to bear with me for a bit lol.

“So Kimberly Hart, where _are_ you actually taking me right now?”

“I seem to recall you saying we'd go wherever this car took us, if memory serves correct.” Kim says biting her lip, something Trini thinks should now be illegal cause..wow.

“Yeah but I thought we'd actually be stopping somewhere not circling the town a few dozen times.”

“Ok first we've gone through town twice, and second we've yet to agree on where to go even out of our limited venue options.”

“Alright! That’s it! Turn into the shopping center we’re getting something sweet.” Trini said, her hands gesturing vaguely in the direction of the cafe stationed between some of the town's small shops in the local shopping center.

Trini is out of the car before Kim even has time to put in park and bounding into the cafe. It has Kim laughing cause _shit_ that is so damn charming and just something so _Trini_ , Kim takes a moment before exiting her car and meeting Trini at the counter.

Trini orders a black coffee and looks to Kim for her drink before adding a single piece of some delicious looking sweet bread to their order and paying before Kimberly can object. Walking over to a vacant table, they pass some of Kimberly's former friends and are met with laughs too loud to be unintentional and gazes too pointed to be anything other than cruel. Kim places a hand on the small of Trini's back to steer her away from those girls entirely unaware of the effect her action has on the other girl.

Kim sits with her back to the girls, the only person she wants her attention to be directed to now is Trini. Trini who already started eating the sweet bread located on the napkin placed directly in between them.

“Hey save some for me! Just cause you bought it, doesn't mean you get to eat it all.”

“No one’s stopping you from taking a bite princess, pick up your fork and have at it.” Its mumbled and a bit obscured by the piece she's currently chewing but Kim understands why the other girl can't seem to stop taking bites once she has one of her own.

With a possessive thunk of fork hitting table through the sweet bread Trini stabs the final piece resting between them, raising her brow as if daring Kimberly to challenge her for it. Every attempt Kim makes to get the treat away from Trini she's met with another flurry of hands and Trini even incredulously trying to take the bite away from her as the fork falls into Kimberly's hand. It's in and out of both of their hands before doing some ridiculous somersault in the air before finally landing directly where it started, fork still sticking out comically from it.

“Ok how about this,” Trini says her eyes on Kim's, “we split this piece here and then everyone wins?”

“How generous Trini, but you and I both know this piece is _mine_.”

“Sharing is caring Hart, didn't they ever teach you that in grade school?” Kim laughs and Trini cuts the piece down the middle where the fork had previously been, sliding Kim's smaller half over to her side of the table.

“So good.” Trini says her mouth only slightly full. Kim laughs again, nothing that in her haste to eat the last bite of _pan_ _dulce_ Trini managed to leave some of it _right_ on the edge of her lip.

“Hey, you've uh got a little something.” Kim says lifting her hand across the table to the edge of Trini’s lip before her mind can tell her to stop. The thing is, when she comprehends what she's doing she doesn't jerk away, her thumb, lingers just a moment longer like she's scared she'll never be this close again.

“Thanks.” Trini's voice brings Kimberly back and she sits in her chair, a warm feeling spreading up her neck and to her cheeks. “Yeah, anytime.” Kim doesn't know why that's what comes out of her mouth but she doesn't have time to think about it as her phone dings from within her pocket.

It’s a picture. More specifically it's a picture of her wiping Trini's mouth, some awestruck look stuck to her own face. It's accompanied by the caption _dykes_ _and_ _their_ _doughnuts_. She whips around in search of the other girls forgetting her phone on the table, but to no avail, they aren't seated where they had been and their car is conveniently missing from the parking spaces in front of the shop. When she turns around back to Trini her eyes are cloudy and Kim _knows_ she saw the texts.

“I think you should take me home.”

“Okay.” Neither of them says anything on the way to Trini's, and she leaves the car her eyes tinged with guilt and sadness.

-

There's something _off_ about the girls. It's like they're fighting, only that requires actually speaking to another person. They haven't spared together the past two days, haven't taken their breaks together, shit the only time the seem to look at each other is when Alpha and Zordon make them all step on the morphing grid during training.

Jason wants to mention it only he doesn't know how, he's the team leader and something is wrong with his team, but he doesn't know if he can _fix_ this. He knows Kim's been going through some things at school, and he and Trini don't exactly speak much, but he has to do something. Since Trini and Kim aren't pairing up anymore Jason calls Kim over and they start to spar.

They're at least a half hour into sparing, sweat dripping off of both of them when Jason finally figures it's as good a time as any to broach the subject with Kim. “So you and Trini what's up with that?” Kim stops circling and gives Jason a look that _almost_ makes him stop pushing.

“I mean a few days ago you guys were thick as thieves, now it's like you’re actively avoiding her.” _Though_ _he_ _can't_ _say_ _much_ _different_ _for_ _Trini_ _either_ he thinks to himself.

“Nothing happened, can't a girl just wanna spend some more time with her _other_ fellow rangers?” She says, her feet back in motion and her arms raised, poised to strike.

“I suppose so..but if that's the case why won't you meet Trini’s eyes anytime she looks this way?” A beat passes then a sharp right is coming right at his face. He manages to duck but he can tell he's hit a nerve, and as much as he doesn't want to upset Kim he knows more than anything what's hurting her now is acting like Trini isn't there.

“Look i'm just saying if you want to talk about anything, I’m here for you.”

-

Jason doesn't know _anything_ , can't possibly comprehend why Kim can't meet Trini's eyes, can't understand that she's doing this because even when she tried to, she couldn't protect Trini. She knows what she's doing isn't right but she can't bring herself to be there in Trini's life if she's only going to bring her more misery. Trini deserves so much more than that, so much more than _her_. But she can't take anymore of this, of Jason acting like it's his job to fix something Kimberly messed up, like he'd even have any clue of how to fix something Kimberly can barely comprehend herself.

“Jason, can you please just drop it?” Kim says, her hands on her hips in a defiant pose.

“No Kim I can't! Something is going on here and it's _my_ job to fix it.”

“Fix it?” she says with a harsh laugh “Jason it has nothing to do with you! So like I said just fucking DROP IT.” her outburst catches the attention of the other rangers, and suddenly they're all looking over at her. When Kim's eyes finally meet Trini's she just can't take it, so she runs. Without a second glance back Kimberly leaves the pit storming away further into the cave system, and away from Trini's sad eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A direct continuation of the last chapter. Mainly a short chapter with more angst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is so short I couldn't figure out where I needed to end it and wasn't satisfied with how it turned out but I hope y'all are. The next chapter is already longer than this one and I'm not even close to being done with it that should be up probably by Sunday night but don't quote me.

“I said I wanted to be alone, Jason.” Kimberly had gotten all of fifteen minutes of solitude before the red ranger approached. Fifteen minutes of wishing she hadn't left, wishing she would have had the courage to say something to Trini in the car, fifteen long minutes of seeing Trini's eyes every time she closed her own.

“You actually didn't, but I’ll leave if that's what you really want..I just wanted you to know I was serious earlier, you can talk to me about anything.”

“ _This_ isn't something that I want to talk about with _you_. You wouldn't understand.” Kim says, wiping the tears from her eyes, turning away from the boy in front of her.

“I might not, but try me. I'm a really good listener.” he says sliding down the cave wall opposite her.

Kim burys her head in her hands, she knows she needs to talk about this, but if there's anyone she should be telling these things to it's Trini. Kim knows that she should be apologizing to her, for what Amanda sent, for how she's been acting the past few days, for not being honest with Trini or herself. But Jason's here and Trini isn't, so she might as well talk to him.

“I don't even know where to start, Jason.” Her tears are still falling and her voice is thick with emotion.

“Just, tell me what started this. What happened three days ago that was so bad that it's making you run away from Trini. Did she say something to you?”

“What? God no, Jason. It's me, I'm the bad guy here. I'm the one who got Trini hurt, I’m the one who's being a coward. Shit. I’m the one who's still hurting her.”

“Kim I’m sure whatever it is you _think_ you did to Trini she'll understand if you just talk to her. But first you're gonna have to do more than just stare at her when we step on the morphing grid then pretending she isn't there the rest of training. Avoiding whatever this is isn't going to solve things.”

“I don't know how to handle this, Jason! I can't just march up to her and say ‘Hey, sorry some bitches at school called us dykes and then I didn't stand up for you.’” the words are out quick and the way Jason's face contorts and his fists clench Kim worries he's going to take a fist to the cave wall or worse.

“Kim, you have no control over what other people say. And you aren't the one who said something discriminatory meant to demean and hurt others. You aren't the one who hurt Trini here. Who said that to you guys? How did this happen?” She doesn't feel like holding any of it in any longer so she tells him. Tells him how she and Trini had been having a great time and how she had gotten caught up in a moment before everything came crashing down. Tells him how she didn't have the courage to just _talk_ to Trini and tell her she didn't care what anyone said about them, that she cares about _her_.

When she shows him the message, she hears a small cracking sound ring through the air before Jason returns her phone to her, a large gash now across the screen.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to mess up your phone, just seeing it, what Amanda sent to you, _God_ it just made me so angry! Her, Ty, all those people, they aren't worth any of our time Kimberly.”

“It's okay Jason. Besides, Billy ordered a whole box of screens when he realized what these powers were, I’m sure he'll have no problem replacing my screen again.”

“He's a great kid isn't he?” Jason says with a laugh.

“Yeah, he really is. They all are.” She can feel Jason's eyes on her, hears his mouth open and then close again, and she supposes there's no point in waiting for him to ask. “I like Trini.” She says, and it's like a weight is immediately lifted from her chest the moment the words leave her mouth. When she looks over at Jason he's just there smiling at her like some big dumb puppy.

"Masters,” Alpha 5's robotic voice calls from outside the tunnel they're currently sitting in. “it's time to try the morphing grid again, come to the ship please.”

“Alright,” Jason says pushing himself off the ground “it's morphin time!”

-

She's sitting in the pit talking to Zack when she sees them, Jason and Kim hot on the tail of Alpha 5 laughing and smiling. She wishes it didn't bother her so much that it's _Jason_ who gets a smile back on Kimberly's face, wishes it could have been her instead. But Jason had insisted that he'd ‘fix it and be right back’ when he took off into the caves in search of Kim. Trini guesses he did what he set out to do.

She should have been more careful, spent less time with Kimberly, gotten less involved. Shit. She should have just kept walking when Kim asked for some of her water, then she wouldn't be stuck here watching _them_. But here she is, and there they are.

-

This time when she catches Kimberly's eyes, she doesn't look away, in fact she smiles at Trini, and that part inside of her that's wants to be angry, wants to know _why_ she so easily cast Trini aside, crumbles. She's still upset, and she still can't figure out what's going on with Kim, but she can't bring herself to hate the girl. Not when she's looking at her like she used to, and smiling that gorgeous smile.

When Trini read that message on Kimberly's phone, her heart stopped. She wasn't exactly hiding her sexuality but she also wasn't actively telling anyone, and it was none of those girls business anyways. The message had hurt, but she was used to those kinds of words following her from town to town, what she wasn't used to was the pained expression of the girl across from her, who in that cafe, couldn't seem to meet her eyes any longer.

The drive back to Trini's had been silent, even though Trini wanted to say something she couldn't bring herself to, ‘Sorry my gayness can be seen from space and now those bitches have a new thing to torture you with’ didn't seem like the right thing to say, so she didn't say anything, and she was out of Kimberly's car without so much as a goodbye as soon as the car stopped outside her house.

  
When they fail to morph again Trini sees the disappointment on everyone's face clear as day, and she can't help but wonder if they're _really_ a team at all. If they're all really meant to be here. They're just kids, kids who barely know each other, bound by some crazy fate, and Trini questions if that's enough to make them into something that can save the world.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rangers have some discussion around a fire, and Trini and Kim get some pep talks that aren't the peppiest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey this update is twice as long as the last so I hope y'all enjoy that!! I'm on the road today to see a soccer match so I won't have time to write and have a lot of Univerty stuff coming up this week so I hope this tides you over till I can update again!

As soon they climbed into the cavern with the Zords Zack stopped hearing anything Alpha was saying. Everything around him seemed to fade into the background as he looked upon the mightiness of his Mastodon, nothing else mattered.

As soon as everyone was out of the room Zack set to climbing into the cockpit and taking her for a spin. Although crashing the Zord back into the mountain wasn't exactly how he'd hoped his little joy ride would end. But hey, you know what they say about best laid plans.

-

“Are you okay?”

Kim standing over her, her hand outstretched is the first thing Trini sees once the dust settles after whatever the fuck Zack just did to the caves with his Zord. She takes Kim's hand before she can think of doing anything better, allowing herself to be brought directly into Kim's personal space.

“I’m good.” she says unmoving, dangerously close to Kim, her traitorous eyes falling down to her plump lips. Trini feels a pressure in her right hand and she realizes neither of them ever let go of each other's hands after Kim pulled Trini up off the cave floor. Kim starts to say something, but before more than a word can get out they hear the boys yelling and whatever spell they were under is broken. Kim gives Trini a look that feels something like a promise, and she knows whatever was happening between them is something they won't be able to avoid forever.

Even though she doesn't want to Trini is the first to step away from their bubble and starts yelling at Zack and Jason to cut the shit, and that's when she sees Billy. Billy’s standing there clad in full ranger armor and he doesn't even know. There's a mask covering his face when he realizes what's going on and Trini's just a little bit sad she can't see the joy she knows is written all over his face. But when the armor fades and Zordon tells them to leave all Trini's doubts about the team come rushing back all at once.

-

Trini's the first to agree to stay up on the mountain with Zack, it isn't even cause she wants to spend time with him it's that she can't bring herself to go home to her mother's endless questions, can't bring herself to see the disappointment on her parents face every time she stays silent at the dinner table.

Hours later when they're all sat around the fire a few beers into the night, Zack starts talking about how they need to get to know each other so that they can morph and Trini supposes he isn't wrong, so she listens and waits with a weight in the pit of her stomach for the discussion shift to her. Zack goes and then Billy and they laugh and they joke, but soon enough their turns are over and Billy tries to get Kimberly talk about why she was in detention, and suddenly her smile is gone “Not tonight. Skip me.” she says, eyes on Trini from across the fire.

Trini wishes she could say the same, but that's not why they're there, and if she can't tell her real family about what's going on, well maybe at least she has this rag tag group.

“Ok, what about you crazy girl?”

“I could tell you anything and you'd have to believe me.” She’s a little bitter when she says it but she isn't wrong, they _don’t_ know her. But something inside her tells her that maybe they should, maybe she's finally met people she can share _some_ part of herself with. Even if it is one of the scariest things she's ever done. She sees Kimberly's eyes on her, as if she's waiting for Trini to say something, anything really. So she takes a steadying breath and starts.

“Okay, um, I’m the new girl, always. Three schools in three years. What's crazy is, I like it that way, ya know? ‘cause it's easier. Nobody ever has to get to know me, and uh..my parents don't have to worry about my relationships.” she says with a long drag of the bottle of beer griped tightly in her hand.

“Boyfriend troubles?”

“Yeah, _boyfriend_ troubles.” there must be something in Trini's voice that shows that she's lying or something written on her face cause before she can change the subject Zack says “... _girlfriend_ troubles?” And she thinks about denying it, but she's tired of lying. Lying to her family, to herself, she’s done with that.

“My family is so normal..too normal. They'd like for me to uh..dress differently, talk more, have the friends they'd want me to have. Just, I don't know how to tell them what's really going on with me, how to tell them that I’m gay.” Trini's voice breaks the entire time she's talking and she doesn't think if she keeps going she'll be able to contain her tears. Especially not when she's felt Kimberly's eyes on her this whole time, and not when she finally looks up and hazel and brown eyes meet, unshed tears shining in both pairs. Trini takes another deep breath.

“And I’ve never said any of this out loud.”

“Oh it's cool, you're with us now.” Billy says his fist outstretched towards Trini's.

“Am I?” Trini asks her voice still raw with emotion. “What does that mean? When all this is over? Are we power rangers? Or..are we friends?” She looks around the group, and is met with silence, Kim and Zack look like they're about to speak up but the words never come. _Well that's fucking great_ , she thinks. She downs the rest of her beer and heads off into the darkness.

-

She doesn't wander far from the group, just enough distance to where she can't feel the warmth of the fire, or the heaviness of their gazes. She knows she dropped a lot on them, knows they're just as unsure about everything as she is, but the silence still hurt. Trini thinks again about how she never would've ended up here if it weren't for Kim.

_God_ , she can't believe how hard and fast she seemed to fall for Kimberly. Despite everything else going on she wouldn't trade it, all their time together, even the past few days of avoiding each other, she wouldn't give it up to go back to being nothing, to having no one give a shit about her. Because Trini knew Kim cared, and maybe it was naive, but Trini can't bring herself to regret a single thing that's happened from the moment she grabbed Kim's hand and started running all those days ago in mine.

She can't have been gone for long from the group when Billy approaches. He does it slowly, his arms raised and at a slow pace, like he thinks Trini is gonna run away from him again, like she did that first day they all _really_ met.

“Hey, Billy.”

“Oh, hey Trini, I was looking for you, I mean, I wanted to talk to you about what you were all talking about at the fire. That is, if you're okay talking about it. I know some people leave places when they get uncomfortable and I was hoping you weren't but if you are I can go or get Zack or Kim or even Jason. Jason's a good listener.” He seems to get all the words out in a single breath and Trini is endeared that he's here and he's trying, before she can respond he starts again.

“I just really think it's important that we all have people to talk to when we're going through hard times. What's going on with your folks seems hard and I want you to know I really meant what I said. You're with us now.” he puts out his fist again and this time Trini complies gently meeting his with her own.

“Deep down I knew that Billy, but thank you, for coming out here, for talking to me even when I started to run.”

“Oh I wasn't the only one who wanted to follow you when you left. Kimberly stood and watched you go until you were out of sight, and she almost took off after you but Jason thought it'd be better if we all let you cool off. But Jason has a hard time saying no to me, and I wanted to talk to you, so here I am.”

“You're too good to us Billy Cranston. Too good.” she's not wrong, Billy is something they all need, like a glue kind of. The first to morph, the one who was able to stop a fight between Zack and Jason when pride and ego ran far too high. The only one out of all of them who truly embodied what it meant to be a ranger. He was all that and more and he just wanted to help, and Trini figured she should let him.

“You know, my family, they uh, don't know that I'm gay. Or maybe they do but..they don't talk about it. Don't ask. They don't want to know the answer. Sometimes I think it's a good thing, ya know? Can't disappoint them if I never say anything about it.”

“You're not a disappointment Trini. You're a good person, and you being gay isn't anything you should ever feel bad about. You were born this way, just like I was born the way I am, we can't help it, and no one should ever want us to be anything other than what we are.” The look on Billy's face is so earnest, his voice so sincere, Trini has to look away as she feels tears stinging her eyes. Even still Billy continues.

“Ya know my dad always told me that being a little different is what makes people amazing, and that the people that didn't see that were the unfortunate ones. So if you're parents don't see how utterly amazing you are, they're the ones missing out. I mean! Their daughter is literally a gay superhero!”

Trini grabs Billy so quickly she's sure it must have been under some aid of superpowers, cause suddenly she's hugging him and crying into his chest and he's just gently patting her back in a soothing way. But she knows Billy isn't the biggest on unplanned touching so she lets him go and wipes her tears away for another time that evening.

“Thank you, Billy,” she says with a watery smile “I don't know what i did to deserve you.” he just beams a smile back at her.

-

“Hey Kim! Wait up a minute would ya?”

“Hey Zack. Look Billy's been back for awhile and Trini didn't come with him, and I really need to talk to her about something important can this wait?” Kim says her eyes scanning the dark horizon for Trini's small figure.

“Actually it can't. It's about you and Trini.” that stops Kim in her tracks.

“What about me and Trini, Zack?” she's says it and squares up with the boy despite several inches of height discrepancy, she's not going to have anyone tell her her feelings for Trini are wrong or try to convince her now isn't the time. Even if it is one of their friends. Funny, she’d never placed that label on Zack till just this moment.

“Just, look okay, I know I don't show it that well but Ii really care about her. And you and the rest of the team of course, but Trini, even if she doesn't see it she's incredible. And she doesn't deserve what's going on at home with her right now.”

“It's okay, Zack. We're on the same page, Trini deserves parents who will accept her as she is. Trust me, I know what it's like for your parents not to understand you.” she can't be mad at Zack for not knowing, not like she disclosed what happened when she came out. Her dad had just ignored it initially, then moved into the insistence that she was confused, that there was no way anyone could be into both men and women. Her mom had been better, a silent acceptance, shaking her head when her father would get into one of his _bisexuality_ _isn't_ _real_ fits. When she punched Ty in the face her mom even asked “you sure you're not just into _girls_ Kimberly? Because I will support you no matter what, and I’m just starting to get your father used to this girls _and_ boys thing, but it's what your heart tells you that matters Kimberly.” It was sweet, if only a bit misguided.

“That's, well not good but, I’m glad you get it. That's not exactly what I wanted to talk to you about though. I know, know about you and Trini, whatever's going on with you guys, I’ve known that there's something there.” he meets Kim's eyes and there's something between fire and sadness held in them, but words don't come so Zack continues. “I just, I’m giving you a warning..”

“A warning? Zack. Listen I get it, you're being protective of Trini, or, trying to be at least. And I respect that, but you've got to know I’m not planning on hurting her, ever.”

“Well, that's good, but as honorary big brother to that tiny child, I have to say this. You hurt her and I’ll use my superpowers and blast you into next week, Hart. Or something more threatening! You will not hurt my tiny daughter!” Kim has to bite her tongue to keep from laughing.

“I gotcha Zack. Also, just for the record, Trini is older than you.”

“Oh, I knew that, but she's tiny, so it doesn't count.” this time Kimberly can't help it, a small laugh escapes, prompting Zack to then start laughing as well.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trini and Kim finally talk about some things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey sorry this update isn't the longest and took so long i've been really busy with uni this week and i wanted to have more cute scenes but it didn't work out when i tried writing them..maybe later they'll show up. as always feedback is greatly appreciated and honestly keeps me motivated to keep writing this. hit me up in the comments or on tumblr (i'm happilygloomy there too) if you have any ideas of scenes you'd like to see or just what you think about this chapter! hope y'all like it!

When Kimberly finally finds Trini it's in _her_ spot. Up on the cliff's edge the small lake sitting far below, Kim's sanctuary, and it just feels so _right_ that Trini is there. Her legs are dangling over the edge, dozens of feet above where Kimberly used to jump from, a distance that would have frightened her, if not for their newfound powers. She doesn't know how long she stands among the trees, just regarding how beautiful Trini looks drenched in the moonlight, but suddenly Trini's voice rings out cutting through the silence of the night like a knife.

“You gonna come over here eventually or just stare at me till the sun comes up, princess?” Kim's cheeks can't help but turn red as the familiar nickname comes from the other girl’s lips, she only hopes that as she's approaching the dark will conceal how immediate Trini's effect on her is. She hides behind the last of her confidence when she manages to conjure up a reply.

“I hadn't decided yet, the view is..pretty impressive.”

She's still smiling when she comes to sit down next to Trini, their bodies close enough to just barely brush against one another when they moved. “I uh..I’m sorry I've been acting weird the past few days, I just..didn't know what to do.”

“Yeah, I didn't really either.” Trini replies, the laugh gone from her voice, her eyes meeting Kimberley's own.

“I should have done _something_ , gone after Harper and Amanda. Anything other than staying silent. They've been waiting for this ever since I sent that picture of Amanda to Ty. Wanting to get back at me for everything they hate me for. And maybe I deserve to be punished in some way for what I did, but Trini, I’m so sorry they made you a part of this.” Kim doesn't know when she started crying, only that she is. She wipes harshly at her eyes ashamed of how weak she is.

“You know,” Trini says, lifting her hand to Kimberly's face to wipe gently at her tears, their hand brushing as Kim lowers hers again, “you don't have control over other people's actions. And yeah, you made a really big mistake, but Kim, a bad action doesn't make you a bad person. Okay? No matter what _you_ did in the past, _they're_ the ones that chose to continue this.”

“Yeah, yeah I guess. But still, I let them get to me, and they got to you through me, and I can't forgive myself for letting them hurt you like that. Or for how I reacted. I was such a coward.”

“I’m not saying what those girls said didn't hurt, but I’m used to it, okay? Getting bullied kinda comes with the territory of being the new girl in school. I’m not saying it's right, or that the past few days of you ignoring me haven't been confusing but, I can't change what anyone else in this world does.

There are things that are far out of the reach of my control, and I can accept that. Don't beat yourself up about something you had nothing to do with, princess.” This time Kimberly doesn't blush at the name, she stiffens, she can't believe that Trini is so resigned about how people have been treating her. she can hardly look at Trini as she realizes that this girl believe she's done something to deserve all the terrible things that others have done or said to her. Kim feels sick thinking about how she had been a part of that.

“Trini, I really am sorry about the past few days, all I wanted to do was talk to you, I thought of a million things to say but every time I saw you in the halls at school or caught your eye during training all I could think about was how I must have hurt you. And that's something that I never want to do Trini, I never want you to hurt, to feel like you're less than or unworthy of anything. Because Trini you deserve _SO_ much more.” Trini is looking right at her, her hands having fallen from Kimberly's face earlier, now clutching tightly at her denim clad legs, a response caught in her throat.

Kim doesn't know if it's the right thing to do but she can't bare the silence or space between them any longer. She places her left hand over Trini's right rubbing soothing circles into the soft skin there until Trini's grip loosens and she can properly thread their fingers.

The action seems to grab Trini's attention, because she's looking directly at their joined hands, and Kim can't help but hold her breath as she waits to see if Trini will let go. But the warm presence never leaves, and Trini's grip on Kim's hand only tightens, and suddenly she can breathe again. Because Trini is _here_ and for now at least, she isn't leaving.

-

They sit like that for awhile, their fingers intertwined, both too scared to say something and lose this little piece of peace. Trini hasn't been able to stop looking at Kim, it's like she's staring, but her eyes don't linger on any one part of her for too long, she's regarding her, taking everything in, because she doesn't know if she'll ever get this chance again. Kim doesn't seem to mind, she smiles every time she manages to catch Trini's wandering eyes, still running small circles with her thumb onto Trini's hand.

When Kim moves to lay back on the ground she gently pulls down Trini with her, their hands still intertwined between them as their gaze shifts upwards towards the stars.

Trini starts thinking about it then, telling Kim how she feels about her. Because what's happening right now, it has to mean something. She came to this spot earlier because she knew it was Kim's. She had seen her on the paths near here and saw her jump from this cliff into the water bellow time and time before. She'd seen her all the times she didn't know she was looking, saw a different girl than she saw at school. Someone who was free, like how Trini wanted to be.

She knew the grass wasn't always greener, one day before all _this_ started she saw Kim on this very ledge crying. All Trini had wanted to do was comfort her, but they didn't know each other, they'd never talked, hell, Trini didn't even know if Kimberly knew who she was, but she imagined she didn't. So she kept walking along the path that led away from Kimberly. Later that night, Billy Cranston blew up a mountain, and the rest as they say is history.

-

It had been hours since Kimberly took off after Trini and Zack was worried. He knew they could manage for themselves against anything that might be lurking in the dark, unless Rita had found them. But then they probably wouldn't be alive either. He couldn't help that he was anxious, Billy had said Trini would be fine, and despite the fact that Zack trusted Billy, he needed to see Trini to be sure.

The sun would be up within the next few hours and Jason and Billy had long been asleep in the train car when Zack took off in search of the girls. The night was so clear, and their small town provided little light pollution on this side of the mountain, the stars seemed to never end when you looked up, it was almost enough to get lost in, to forget about all their problems just past the horizon.

When he found them, a smile spread instantly across his face. Zack didn't know what had happened in the hours since the girls had been alone, but there they were, laying on the hard ground, Kim's taller body wrapped around Trini's small frame, their hands intertwined and trapped between their bodies. It was cute, and Zack knew they might hate him for it, but he snapped a photo before turning away and heading back to his brothers.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i lowkey don't know what happened here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so many great ideas that just would not translate but i got in a scene i had been planning for a long time so i hope it fits well with where the story is. let me know what you guys think!

Trini's eyes were open but she knew this couldn't be real, there was no _fucking_ way Rita Repulsa was dangling above _her_ in her bedroom while her brothers slept down the hall. This couldn't be real.

But there were fingers like talons streaking across her face, and vile words coming out her mouth, Trini tried to get Rita off of her but she was just being flung around the room like it was nothing.

“Have you morphed yet?” rang from Rita's lips and suddenly Trini was smashed into the brick wall beside her bed. “Trick question, if you could morph..we'd be having a _very_ different conversation.” The sheaths covering Rita’s nails were serrated and sharp, cutting at Trini's face whenever pressure was applied, each touch felt like a thousand small knives slicing into her skin.

“Ah..the yellow ranger..should I kill you? I killed the yellow ranger before, and I _loved_ it! Oh! You want your armor! I’ll show you mine..if you show me yours..” Rita transformed into something more in that moment, green and gold armor formed where fabric had once been. Her eyes were glowing and the hand around Trini's neck tightened and continued to cut at her. Suddenly Trini's hands were around Rita's neck and she was squeezing with all her might and Rita was crying out in pain, but it was a ruse. With a harsh laugh she turned them around and held Trini above the ground choking off her air and cutting her all at the same time, before lowering her to the ground.

“You've got spunk little yellow! I see myself in you. You know I was an outsider on Zordon’s team _just_ like you.” Trini managed to grasp at air but couldn't manage to yet speak.

“All I need to know is, where is the zeocrystal?”

Trini summoned up all the defiance left in her, “I don't know.” Rita scoffed, “Sadly, I believe you. Tomorrow at dawn the destruction of Angel Grove begins. _But_ , in exchange for your life, you will fine me that crystal! We can have a little deal..DiDi my friend.” Before Trini could even process what had just happened she was being thrown across the room and into shelving above her bed. By the time she looked up, Rita was gone.

-  
 *** _we should start a band group message*_**

_**Trini** : meet me at the football stadium now._

_**Zack** : yo, crazy girl, you good?_

_**Billy** : I’ll be there as soon as I can, should I be bringing something?_

_**Jason** : why are we meeting at the football stadium?_

_**Trini** : I’ll explain when you all get here. just hurry._

Kim looked down at her phone waiting for someone else to question Trini, but it never came. Kimberly had been thinking about Trini all day, about how she had gotten to see Trini sleep out there on the cliff, about how she had been able to hold her, about how much she wanted to tell her that she lov..liked her. She got to think about how the boys all smiled at them when they came back to the forgotten bonfire the next morning, and how Trini's hand had somehow managed to find her own in the light of day. She especially thought about how Trini had walked her home in the early hours of the morning, and how her own lips lingered on the edge of Trini's mouth before they said their goodbyes. Kim had had time to think about a lot of things, but the only thing that mattered was Trini.

They had sent a few messages throughout the day in the group message with the boys but it seemed neither had the courage to seek the other out directly yet. So when she saw Trini's message, Kim's worn leather jacket was on and she was typing a reply that she'd be there before logic told her to even ask why. She was out her bedroom window and over the mountain just as quick.

-

Trini was pacing, how was she supposed to tell them what had happened? What she had been told? She watched them arrive one by one into the stadium, tiredness written across their faces. Saw Kimberly jump over the height of the stadium and land in the center of the field, landing gracefully, like it was the most natural thing in the world. But before Trini could get lost in her thoughts about Kimberly, Jason's voice rang out.

“Well we’re all here, so where is she?”

Now or never. She gathered her courage and emerged from the dark. “I’m right here...Look, Rita came to my house tonight.”

“What?”

“Yeah she's real..insane.” Trini said pulling down the collar of her shirt to show them the deepest cuts that resided there. “She nearly killed me..she was trying to get me to join her. She said she'd spare my life if i could keep a secret.”

“Secret?” Zack said, his eyes still on the harsh scratches lining her neck.

Trini had felt Kim's eyes on her from the second she stepped out, but when she said Rita almost killed her..she saw something _else_ in those brown eyes, and something deep inside her made a swooping motion, but she couldn't dwell on what _that_ meant right now, so she continued.

“At dawn the destruction of Angel Grove begins. She said to meet her where the dead ships live.”

“That's the boatyard by the docks. Alright, let's go.” Jason said, trading places with Trini who was now making her descent to the ground.

They all looked at each other in silence, but Trini could still feel Kim's eyes fixed only on her, with a small glance she met her gaze, something she'd yet to do since she had arrived. Jason spoke up again.

“Are you serious? No one?”

“Jason we aren't even power rangers yet.” Trini surprised herself by speaking up again, but she was right, without her armor she was no match for Rita, none of them were.

“I say we go back to Zordon”

“Ok,” Jason said with a huff “the only reason Zordon wanted us to become rangers is so _he_ could come back to life.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Because he told me.” that seemed to make Billy take pause.

“So..all of this,” Billy said gesturing to the group, “has been a lie?”

“Of course it was a lie Billy, we failed, let's stop being _delusional_ about being a team of superheroes.” Trini knew Jason the least, but she never would've expected him to be so callous. Trini knew what this team was to Billy, how much he loved them, even if he couldn't say the words. Jason angry and justifiably so, but what he was doing wasn't right or fair. Trini made her way over to Billy and stood by him, now wasn't the time to touch him, but she'd be damned if he was going to feel alone.

Jason continued his speech about how it was their duty to kill Rita, and Trini could see his point, knew out of all of them this was her fault. If she was stronger she could've done it, and they wouldn't even be here, this was her responsibility to end.

“You know this is a really bad idea right?” Kim's voice rang out, suddenly directly to Trini's right.

“The worst.” Trini said with a knowing smirk, eyes meeting Kim's.

“Lets vote. Show of hands.”

Jason's arm was the first to raise, but the second Trini's arm came up into the air, so did Kim’s, her eyes meeting Trini's yet again. Jason took off out of the stadium, the boys hot on his heels.

“You sure about this?” Trini said to Kim when it was just the two of them left in the empty stadium.

“No, but I am sure about this.” Kim said pulling Trini into a kiss that was anything but soft. Kim's hands were cupping Trini's jaw and winding through her hair and it's like she was _everywhere_. Her own hands made their way to Kim's hips and she's grabbing so hard she's sure she's leaving marks, but with Kim's lips on hers, she really can't bring herself to care.

“You guys? While I love and support you always now is really _not_ the time!” Zack voice calls out breaking the girls apart, their foreheads still resting against each other. “You just remember what I told you Hart.” Zack says pointing his fingers from his eyes towards Kim's, before walking away again a smile spreading across his face.

“You and I,” Kim says while still catching her breath, “are going to have a talk after we save the world, we're gonna do others things too,” she say with a devilish smirk on her face,reaching her hand down to grab Trini's, “but we're definitely going to talk about this.” Trini mirrors the smile spread across Kim's face before bringing her down for another quick kiss, because kissing Kim makes her feel invincible, and that's exactly what she needs to be for this fight with Rita if she's ever going to get to have that talk


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> basically the end of the movie in a highkey condensed and slightly gay form

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> writing this was like pulling teeth like i couldn't fit dialogue into this and the action of the fighting was just weird so even though this took a long time to write it's mostly transition to me getting to good fluff at the very end of the movie and then a few chapters of what happenes post movie..lmk what you think!

They fought Rita and they lost. Trini isn't even sure if anyone landed a hit before it was over and they were tied to the side of the boat. No matter how hard they struggled, they couldn't break free of the restraints Rita had them in. They couldn't do anything when Billy was dropped into the water with a flick of Rita's staff, and despite how hard they tried to free themselves once Rita finally let them go, they were too late, Billy was dead.

Trini couldn't believe it when the words came from Kimberly's mouth, there was no way, Billy was the best of them, Billy made them a team, and he was gone. Trini couldn't process her own grief, much less consider what was going on in the minds of the others. But as Kim searched Billy's body, she found something that broke her. Trini had never heard anything so desperate as Kim in that moment begging them to help her get Billy up.

By the time they made it back to the ship, Billy's body had gone cold, and Trini can't get over how _young_ he looks. She can't bring herself to leave his side, she can't just leave him _alone_.

“He's dead because of me.”

“No Jason it was all of us-”

“No! I pushed it! And as usual I made the wrong decision! Out of fear, out of anger, I was just so angry. He's a great kid you know?” Jason says his voice breaking, “And he loved us, he loved being a ranger. And I’m sorry Billy,” Jason says, looking down to where Billy laid, “I’d trade my life for yours if I could.”

“Maybe he gave his life for ours,”

“Yeah. He probably did. I would.” Zack said standing to look at them as they all echoed in response.

“It's just the four of us now, and the truth is, no matter what we've said to each other. This right here, this is the only thing that matters.” Kim says moving past Jason.

“She's right.” Trini's still broken voice calls as tears still threaten to fall.

Then suddenly the ship is shaking and Alpha is yelling at Zordon to step through the grid, and then suddenly everything goes dark, and the wall is a blank as it was the first time they stepped into this room.

“Alpha where is he?”

“I..I don't know, he must have stepped through the grid!” but no sooner than the words are out does a shudder run through the ship and Zordon’s face reemerges where it was only moments before.

-

He was dead, or he thought he had been, there'd been a light, and a feeling of peace, but he wasn't there long before something brought him back. Back to lungs that felt like they were exploding and a heartbeat so loud he couldn't be sure if anyone had actually called his name as struggled to stand upright once again.

Zack was there, holding him up as he still adjusted to bringing in air again, and the girls were at his side, crying and embracing him like it was something they thought they'd never get to do again. Billy was piecing it together, there was no way something hadn't happened to him. “Did I die?” the girls sound off competing answers and Trini shoots Kim a look of annoyance for her denial of his death, and she supposes he has his answer. So he died, could've happened a few times by now but it didn't, but he's still here and he hasn't actually left his mom alone, even though she'd probably be okay.

“I told you we were superheroes.” Billy says making the girls and Zack laugh as Jason just continues a conversation with Zordon. “Jason, we gotta go to Krispy Kreme..and not for doughnuts.”

-

This time when they stand on the morphing grid, it works, the armor slow spreading over their bodies. It's incredible to see, to look at the other rangers, to see them as something entirely different but also uniquely _them_. But there isn't time to admire how their armor makes them look when Rita’s minions are entering the water in the cavern and suddenly the battle begins.

-

When they take off toward the town to destroy Goldar and Rita, Kim is literally flying. Like through the air in a machine millions of years old and she's just..flying, and God, it is such a high. She can see Trini and the boys below her, their Zords running and carving into their ground with their weight, and she can't help but feel a bit smug that she's the only one able to fly, to be this _free_.

But she doesn't get to enjoy it for long as the sight of Glodar punching into buildings comes into view. As they continue their approach she takes a final glance at Trini, her body working with her Zord to make it move, a smile on her face that Kim knows will soon leave once the fight begins. Kim takes the moment and cherishes it, then pushes on into battle.

-

Kim is on fire, and not in a good way. They're all there, trying to protect the crystal, trying to hold the line, and they're failing. Rita and Goldar are giving more than they can take, and Kim is literally on fire. She can't breathe, she can't think, she can't escape. She's being crushed between Goldar’s hands and she can bear Trini and Zack yelling but she can't do anything but feel this immense fear. And then they're moving, all of them being pushed into the pit and the heat is only getting more intense.

“No one does alone.” Jason says, Billy's reply is almost instantaneous, “I’m okay with that.” But Kim isn't, this can't be how it ends. Her and her friends can't die like this, not when they were so close to saving the world. Not when Trini is looking up at her in her crushed Zord her hand outstretched and tears falling from her eyes. This can't be the end, but Kim knows it just might be so she stretches her hand towards Trini hoping it can convey what words simply couldn't. And then they're falling.

-

The thing about facing imminent death via giant gold alien monster, is that it really makes all your other problems seem..smaller. Suddenly it really didn't matter that her parents didn't want her to be gay, and it didn't matter that she was scared shitless by her apparently reciprocated feelings for Kimberly. What mattered was they were all about to die, and there didn't seem to be a damn thing they could do to stop it. Love, friendship, it wouldn't save them.

Except maybe it did, because when Trini opened her eyes again, she wasn't dead, and she was high up in the sky, the functioning right arm of what Billy was dubbing a ‘Megazord’ and she could hear all their voices in her ear. They hadn't died. Not yet at least.

Trini and Kim are the arms of the Megazord, and if they weren't fighting a giant gold demon man with a bitchy alien inside of it, Trini might've taken the time to find that somewhat poetic. Cosmic even. But now was certainly not the time. They figured out how to move and fight together in moments, their minds connected through some unexplainable way. their verbalizations helped, but it was like before anyone said anything they were already doing it. Together they were _more_. And it was like they couldn't be stopped, they punched, Kimberley and her, and Billy kicked and suddenly she and Kim were plunging swords into Goldar and the fight was over. they had won.  
-

It lasted all about five seconds before Rita was spouting some vile shit at them, Zack wanted to step on her, and he could seeing as how he was a leg, but before he could get a chance to she was flying out of sight because Jason _fucking_ Scott just had to slap her into SPACE.

“Jason did you just slap her??” Billy called up towards the red ranger.

“Yeah, I did..weird huh?” Jason responded with a laugh. Zack had to admit it was _pretty_ hilarious..still thinks a squashed Rita pancake would've been better but..space popsicle would just have to do he supposed.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> missing scenes after the battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! sorry this took so long to write being a junior in college is kicking my ass but i was able to write this between papers and presentations and i hope y'all like it! lmk what y'all think either here or on tumblr i'm happilygloomy there too! also this story kinda feels like it's winding down but i'm totally open to writing more so long as i have ideas on where to go so talk to me about that too!!

They spend what feels like _hours_ in the quarry trying to come out of the Megazord’s form. I mean, it's not like they _intended_ to almost die and become this but, here they are.

By the time they're back in the caves hours have passed since the end of the battle and their phones have been inundated with messages from their parents wondering where they are, if they're okay. There's several messages on Trini's phone of her mom and dad yelling in Spanish and they're so genuinely worried in a way Trini wouldn't have expected them -or at least her mom- to be, it's like it breaks and fixes something in her all at the same time. And _damn_ is she going to have to get a handle on this crying thing cause her rep as a tough bitch is really starting to get damaged with these near daily episodes.

But maybe crying isn't such a bad thing, because suddenly Kim's arms are around her, and Trini doesn't think anything could make her regret that. “Hey,” Kim says pulling apart from Trini enough to wipe at her tears, “what's wrong? We won and we're all okay.”

Trini's eyes are still glassy when she finally replies, taking Kim's hand from her face and holding it with her own. “Yeah, I..uh..I know that, and I’m so happy about that but uh, these tears,” she says gesturing with her free hand, “I don't know..my mom called, during the battle. And uh..when she got past the yelling, she said she just wanted to know if her little girl was okay and that she loved me..neither of us have been very open with that word recently. It just kinda all hit me, ya know? I've always known she loved me under all her questions and passive aggressiveness, but hearing it again after a while, and I guess that and all the emotions of the battle came down on me at once.” Kim's free hand just came up to brush Trini's hair behind her ear, a small smile on her face.

“You know,” Kim says,hand still playing with the ends of Trini's hair, “it's okay to feel all of that right now, to feel things at any time. Feelings aren't your enemy.”

“I’ll take that under advisement, princess.” Trini says bringing Kim back into her space with another tight hug.

-

“Looks like you owe me 20$ Scott.” Zack all but sings into Jason's ear, pointing at Trini and Kim who seem to have forgotten the boys are there at all. When their absence from the group catches Billy's attention he does that little clap thing he does and smiles before departing saying something about how his mom wants to meet the friends he's been ‘spending all this time with’ and that they are always welcome in his mom's home.

“Hold up a sec Zack, we don't know if they're actually _together_ yet, I mean, it's been up in the air since the bonfire but, I still think I got you beat man.”

“Jason, my dude, they were literally kissing at the football stadium if they aren't together now, they're certainly going to be soon.”

“Ok well you're not getting those 20$ till they tell us they're together _Taylor_.” Jason says reaching up to ruffle Zack’s hair.

“End of the week Scott, get ready to lose ya coins.”

-

Kimberly was the only one in the group who went home to nothing. Her parents were away at some conference, and Kim supposed that the news of the battle hadn't yet reached them. She knew her mom would call, she'd call the second she knew anything was wrong. Rather than let her mom worry anymore than she needed to Kim sent off a quick message about how she hadn't been anywhere near town all day and that she was safe. It was a lie, but a necessary one, her mom worried enough about her when they had to take these trips. Still, even though she knew what she was going home to, the emptiness of the home was too much. She only stayed long enough to throw some clothes and a few wadded up bills her father had left on the kitchen table into her backpack and she was out the door once again.

  
-

Trini took her time making it home, she didn't know what she was going to be met with, she didn't want to see disappointment on her mother's face. Trini didn't know if her mom's calls changed anything about their recent lack of communication, or the distance that had been growing with every time Trini stayed silent in the wake of her mother's questions. They were always the wrong ones, questions Trini couldn't or wouldn't answer, and she didn't know who was more to blame in the recent weeks about that now ever present wedge between them.

But none of that seemed to matter when Trini got home, she wasn't even able to make it inside the house before she was tackled by her brothers, she didn't even make it past the middle of the yard. They were tiny, but then again so was she, and under their combined weight they brought her down into the grass fairly easily. So much heightened ranger constitution.

“¿ _Trinidad_ , _dónde_ _estabas_ _todo el día?_ Your father and I have been worried sick!” her mother’s voice calls from above them, bringing Trini’s focus sharply back. “ _Hija_ , all we ask is that you let us know you're safe, that you just _talk_ to us.” She says, bringing Trini into a crushing hug, her brothers following suit and holding onto her waist tightly.

“ _Lo se, mamá_.” Trini says, her voice thick with emotion. “It won't happen again, _lo_ _prometo_.” she knows that it's lie, because who knows what the future of being a ranger brings, but with her mother and brothers holding her, her heart wants to scream that she'll never lie to them again.

“Your father has gone to assess some of the damages to the town and the shop, but I’ll call him and let him know you're home safe.” Her mother says, pulling off her beanie and gently brushing her hair with her hands before quickly kissing the crown of her head then heading back inside to call Trini's father.

“Trini, are you crying?” Mateo and Daniel say in unison drawing Trini's attention to the fact that she is in fact crying..again. Trini is laughing and wiping at her tears when she looks up and sees Kimberly standing next to a tree at the edge of their property.

-

Kim walks through the town first, looks at the destruction that they caused, remembers what they prevented at this cost, she even laughs at Amanda’s forgotten and ruined car. Afternoon had already turned into the early stages of evening but most of the town has come out to start clearing the mess left after the battle. And as much as she's hated Angel Grove at times, something about seeing a community come together over something other than football patches some of the cracks of Kimberly's mending heart.

She keeps walking, and her mind wanders. The streets of the town become those of a neighborhood entirely unscathed by the battle. It takes Kim awhile to notice which neighborhood she's actually in, she's only been here once before but it's safe to say she now recognizes where she is. She can see Trini, in the distance approaching her house from the other side of the street on foot. They keep moving towards each other but Trini never seems to notice Kim making her way to her house. She sees Trini get tackled by her brothers and how lovingly she treats them before and during her conversation with her mother. Kim's heart is pounding in a funny kind of way, and she has a stupidly big smile on her face when Trini's eyes finally meet hers.

Trini says something to her brothers before pushing lightly towards the door and approaching Kim. “Couldn't stay away, could you princess?” Trini says coming face to face with Kimberly and grabbing hold of the ends of her worn leather jacket. It's nice and Kim has half a mind to kiss Trini again like she did in the stadium but Trini's already broken apart from her and sent nervous looks back at her house, Kim figures that now isn't the best time.

“I uh, I went back to an empty home, I just couldn't stand the quiet, and I just..ended up here. I hope that's okay, I don't want you to get in any more trouble with your parents.” Kim says nervously her hands tightly gripping the straps of her backpack.

“No it's uh, it's fine. Please, come in for a bit, and then we’ll tell my parents that yours are out of town, they're Mexican they're not gonna let you just leave if they know your house is empty.” Trini says with humor in her voice as she starts walking back towards her house motioning for Kim to follow.

Kimberly's never wanted more to reach out and grab Trini's hand, but before she can even think to do it, Trini takes her hand in her own, pulling Kim gently in the direction of her house.

When they reach the porch Trini pauses before opening the door and asks with worry in her voice, “You sure you're ready to meet my parents?”

“Like I told you before _Trinidad_ ,” Trini groans at the use of her full name, cursing the enhanced hearing that no doubt filled Kim in on this bit of information, “I’m sure about _you_.” Hidden from the view of any windows in the house Trini finds her courage and kisses Kim like she'd been wanting to do ever since the battle. It's soft but it sends a bolt of lightning through Trini's spine electrifying everything, and even when they break apart it's like Trini still has that lightning inside of her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> translations: 
> 
> donde estabas todo el dia: where have you been all day
> 
> hija: daughter
> 
> lo se mama: i know mom
> 
> lo prometto: i promise


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> dinner with the parents and some light angst. this became the final chapter but hey man who knows?

Dinner with Trini’s parents could have gone better, it certainly could’ve gone worse, but it certainly could’ve gone better. It didn't start poorly, or maybe it did, Kim helped Trini's brothers set the table and stole glances at Trini who had been called into the kitchen by her mother to help her serve the plates. She thought her looks at the girl were subtle, Trini had only caught her looking once up to this point, yeah Kim thought she was being real slick, that is, until Trini’s little brother Mateo asked her why she kept staring at Trini, and a choked sound came from Trini’s lips as she came into the room several plates balanced on her arm.

They had all just sat down to eat when Trini’s dad came into the house with a comical “Honey, I’m home!” Trini rolled her eyes at the very dad like comment, Kim and the others just laughed. “Oh, hello. June you didn’t tell me we’d be having a guest for dinner! I would have come home much sooner if I had known Trini brought a friend over.” Trini’s father said standing above his wife and daughter gently squeezing their shoulders before moving to sit down at the head of the table.

“I’m sorry for any inconvenience Mr. Vasquez, I was just telling Mrs. Vasquez that my parents are out of town on business and that they wanted me to stay at a friends in light of the attack on the town.” Kim internally cringed that some of the first things out of her mouth to Trini’s parents were a lie, more a stretching of the truth than anything, but still, Kim felt like she had done something wrong.

“Nonsense! We welcome all here don’t we June?” Trini’s mother replies with a smile that doesn’t quite meet her eyes, and Kim recognizes that look, it’s the same look her dad had the first time a girl had stayed over after she had come out. Something akin to being analyzed, like every move you make is up for question. Kim worries that Trini’s mother overheard what Mateo said earlier, if just by being here she’s messed up the little traction Trini and her mother seemed to be gaining in the wake of the battle.

She gets stuck in her mind, and apparently misses a question or two from Trini’s parents because suddenly the only thing tethering her back to the conversation is Trini’s hand on her knee, and her soft voice calling out her name.

“Kim, my dad asked when you're parents are coming home.”

“Oh, uh, they should be back in the next few days or so. More than likely they'll be home by Sunday night.” It was Friday and Kim had yet to broach the subject of even staying one night at Trini's much less two, she'd be fine at home, in theory.

“Well that's too bad,” Trini's mom voiced from across the table, Trini's hand had lingered on Kim's knee and Kim's left hand had found its way to be held in her right, but at the sound of her mother's voice the warmth of Trini's hand was gone. “Kimberly, you're welcome to stay this evening here on the couch if you'd like.”

“What, no mom she can stay in my room, I’m fine sharing.”

“ _Trinidad_.” her mother warned, Trini was still about to push the subject when her father spoke up.

“June, there's no need for the girl to sleep on that old thing, it'll probably mess up her back! Kimberly you are welcome to stay in Trini's room for the night, please make yourself at home.” Trini's father said with a smile so sincere she could do little but say thank you and fight the tears that had silently sprung to her eyes.

-

When Trini comes into her room Kim's been there for a few minutes. She expected to find Kim watching netflix on her computer or maybe snooping through her things, what she didn't expect was to find her standing just a step through the door. It was like she didn't hear Trini approach, her eyes filtering around the devastation in the room. Kim had seen the marks on Trini's neck, and she knew Rita had hurt her, violated her safety in her home, but she didn't imagine _this_.

Kim didn't imagine the Trini sized hole in the wall next to her dresser, didn't expect the splintering of the wood frame of Trini's bed, didn't expect the broken plaster on the ceiling and the shattered brick of the wall next to Trini's bed.

Kim just stood there, tears stinging at her eyes as Trini quietly made her way to her. Kim had moved further into the room when she felt Trini's soft hand on her shoulder, allowing them enough space to step into the room and close the door. Kim drew her eyes away from the wreckage of the room her focus now shifting to the girl beside her.

They might have healed quicker as rangers but Kim could still see the angry red marks on Trini's neck, and she noticed the stiffness with which she had been moving all night only now. Trini was hurt. Trini had almost _died_ , hell, they almost all did. All Kim could focus on was the rise of Trini's chest, and the soft hand in hers leading slowly to the edge of the bed.

They didn't say anything, not for awhile, it was just them sitting on the edge of Trini's mattress, hand in hand, Kim feeling more than hearing the steady cadence of Trini's heart.

-

They talked until they fell asleep, talked about everything, talked about nothing. The entire time Trini never let go, her arms wrapped strongly around Kimberly, holding her as everything hit. While she was racked with sobs she could no longer contain, Trini held her and placed soft kisses on the crown of her head whispering that she'd be alright, that they were alright.

She held her while the audacity of the day caught up to her, and laughter that couldn't be stopped sang from her lips. They laughed until they cried some more, but these were different tears, these healed everything that had gone wrong in the past few months and took something heavy from Kimberly's chest. It felt kind of like freedom. Like what she'd been searching for that night at the mine when Jason asked her to run away. She was here, but she was _free_.

-

Trini woke in the middle of the night to sight and feel of Kimberly wrapped all around her. It seemed like there wasn't a body part of Kim's not touching Trini. In addition to the heat of Kim's presence she felt heat spreading across her neck and face and setting somewhere low within her. Kim's head was resting on Trini's chest, her right arm caught between their bodies and her left draped over Trini's stomach, her hand resting just under the hem of her shirt. Their legs were no better, a mass of limbs caught together inelegantly but somehow still so _right_.

Trini couldn't believe Kim was _here_ , that she _wanted_ to be here, that she'd let her hold her the way she had, that she felt so completely _hers_ in this moment. That she was able to just _be_ like this with Kim, still holding her, keeping her as safe as she could.

They had only scratched the surface of what they were, but Trini couldn't deny how she felt, and she wanted so desperately to believe Kim felt the same. To believe that something amazing was going to come of these feelings, that they'd work.

In the moon drenched sheets of her room Trini took this time to just look at Kim, how carefree she looked while sleeping, the weight of her past not on her shoulders. Trini hoped that that lightness would reach the hours of day, that despite all that she'd done,Kim would be able to be herself now, and that maybe she could be too.

Trini had seen some of that shine come back to Kim's eyes before they drifted off to sleep, and Trini almost envied the freedom she knew came with whatever realization she had had. But in this moment, Trini could feel nothing but happiness, and as her exhaustion pulled her back under she placed a quick kiss on Kim's forehead and drifted into sleep once again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey this went though a bunch of rewrites esp. with the part that's just Trini and Kim so please let me know of what you think! come talk to me on tumblr i'm happilygloomy there too!! 
> 
> EDIT 6/20/17  
> Hey so a lot of time has passed and while the ending isn't as strong as i'd like it to be i'm gonna make this a completed work now. I had a lot more I wanted to write and just never was able to make it work when i tried. I hope anyone who read this enjoyed it (at least in some part) cause i enjoyed my first attempt at writing!! hopefully i'll write more fic someday but until then this was fun!


End file.
